Twila Jacqueline Wheeler Skinner, 76, a resident of Pleasant Avenue, Elkins, departed this life to be with her Lord, Jesus Christ, early Sunday morning, March 1, 2009, in Ruby Memorial Hospital after an extended battle with leukemia.

She was born Thursday, June 2, 1932, at Elkins, a daughter of the late Emmett Wheeler and Crystal Thomas Wheeler.

On March 1, 1951, she was married to Donald R. Skinner, who survives at Elkins.

Also surviving are two daughters, Deborah Skinner Tusing Geisel and husband, Philip, of Waynesboro, Va., and Beverly Dawn Skinner of Charlottesville, Va.; two sons, Kenneth R. Skinner and wife, Joy, of Bridgeport and Gary Linn Skinner and wife, Dee Dee, of Elkins, three grandchildren Dara Tusing McCarthy and husband, Rich, of Boynton Beach, Fla., Sturn Harrison Tusing II of Harrisonburg, Va., and Cody Linn Skinner of Elkins, one great-grandson, Tyler McCarthy of Boynton Beach, Fla.; six sisters, Ruth Wilmoth of Elkins, Mary Canfield of Bunker Hill, Janet Carr, of Holly, Mich., Elva Shinaberry of Baltimore, Md., Brenda McCauley of Dailey and Mable Johnson of Harrisonburg, Va.; two brothers, James R. Wheeler and wife, Hilda, and Walter Wheeler, all of Elkins; six stepgrandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by one sister, Yolanda Wheeler; and one brother, Emmett "Bud" Wheeler.

Twila was a graduate of Elkins High School with the class of 1950, had worked as a doctor's assistant for Dr. Jellinek at the Memorial General Hospital for 17 years and for Dr. Kovoor at the Davis Memorial Hospital for 12 years, retiring in 1994. She was an active member of the First United Methodist Church, the Julia Bonafield Circle at her church, a member of the Randolph County Senior Center, where she volunteered to keep the scrapbook and take blood pressures and a member of the Beta Sigma Phi-Phi Master Chapter. She enjoyed sewing, reading, working in her flowers, gardening and traveling with her husband and family. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, and she will be sadly missed by her family.

The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Wednesday at Lohr & Barb Funeral Home of Elkins. On Thursday, March 5 Mrs. Skinner will be moved to the First United Methodist Church where friends may call from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m., the funeral hour. The Rev. Dr. Ellis E. Conley and the Rev. Dr. Basil A. Hensley will officiate and interment will follow in Elkins Memorial Gardens. The family suggests that expressions of sympathy be in the form of memorial contributions to the First United Methodist Church, 315 Kerens Ave., Elkins, W.Va. 26241. Lohr & Barb Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements for Twila Jacqueline Wheeler Skinner. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.lohrbarbfuneralhome.com.